Selective dispensers for crayons or the like



Aug. 23, 1960 2,950,025

SELECTIVE DISPENSERS FOR CRAYONS OR THE LIKE Filed Sept; 4, 1958 J. L. TUMATH 2 Sheets-Sheet 1,

WV EN TOR. J2 CK 4. 72mm 7/9 Aug. 23, 1960 J.'L. TUMATH 2,950,025

SELECTIVE DISPENSERS FOR canons OR THE LIKE Filed Sept. 4, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 B flax Z. 71km 77/ A GENE? Unite SELECTIVE DISPENSERS FOR CRAYONS OR THE LIKE Filed Sept. 4, 1958, Ser. No. 758,941

3 Claims. (Cl. 221--90) This invention relates to selective dispensers of a type usable in selecting and making available crayons or the like from storage for convenient pick-up and use.

In using crayons or colored pencils, much time is lost in selecting a particular color crayon or pencil from a plurality of them which may be kept in a box or laid loosely on a desk or drawing board. There have been many types of crayon and pencil holders in the prior art, but none have provided an optimum of utility and facility in the selection of a particular crayonor pencil from a group of them.

With the foregoing in view, the primary object of this invention is to provide a selective dispenser for crayons or the like winch receives crayons in an orderly manner and which presents crayons deposited therein for ready visual selection and rapid manual withdrawal, the said selective dispenser further functioning as a storage device for the crayons when not in use. 7

Other objects of the invention will become apparent by reference to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a view in perspective of a selective dispenser for crayons and the like embodying the invention, portions of the cover-easel element being broken away to illustrate the construction, the cover-easel element thereof being shown in its easel position by dot and dash lines.

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view taken substantially on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 showing one of the dispensing keys depressed for the purpose of dispensing a crayon from the crayon dispenser.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1 showing a dispensing key in its normal position.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view similar to Fig. 3 showing a dispensing key depressed and a crayon being dispensed from the crayon dispenser.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged side elevational view of a dispensing key.

Fig. 6 is a front elevational view of the dispensing key shown in Fig. 5.

Referring now to the drawings wherein like reference numerals refer to like and corresponding parts throughout the several views, the particular embodiment of a selective dispenser for crayons andlike cylindrical elements disclosed for the purpose of illustrating the invention consists, in general, of a crayon container 10 in the form of a box-like structure having a bottom 11 extending forwardly to provide a crayon chute 110, a pair of sides 12, a rear panel 13, a front panel 14, and a covereasel 15 hingedly connected at 150 to rearwardly and downwardly disposed tabs 120 located at the rear of the sides 12. The said cover-easel 15 normally closes the top of the crayon container 10, and also swings approximately 270 degrees to form an easel for supporting the crayon container on a suitable angle higher at the rear than at the front to permit crayons normally held in the States Patent 0 Patented Aug. 23, 1960 said container 10 to be selectively dispensed therefrom down the crayon chute as hereinafter described in detail. The said crayon chute 110 may be provided with a lower upstanding transversely disposed lip 1100 to retain dispensed crayons on the said crayon chute 110 ready for picking-up and use. The rear panel 13 and the front panel 14 preferably extend over the side walls 12 as illustrated, the rear panel extension providing retaining means for the crayon dispensing keys 20, see Figs. 3 and 4.

The crayons 50 held by the crayon container 10 are each supported on a crayon dispensing key 20 consisting of a vertical wall 21 and a longitudinal crayon supporting base 22 disposed laterally normal to the said vertical wall 21 along the bottom thereof. The rearward end of the said vertical wall 21 extends below the base 22 of the crayon dispensing key 20 and is formed to provide a depending tab 23 notched at 230 as best shown in Fig. 5. The forward end of the said vertical wall 21 of said crayon dispensing key 20 extends diagonally upwardly, terminating into a horizontally disposed key pad 24. The central portion of the said vertical wall 21 of the crayon dispensing key 20 extends downwardly to provide a depending triangular guide fin 25 notched at 250.

The front panel 14 of the crayon container 10 is provided with a transverse opening at the lower portion thereof to permit crayons to be dispensed therethrough down the crayon chute 110, and is vertically slotted at 141 above the said transverse opening 140 to accommodate and guide the vertical wall 21 of crayon dispensing keys 20. Spaced just forwardly of the rear panel 13 of the crayon container 10 is a fulcrum 111 preferably extending upwardly from the bottom 11 thereof. The crayon dispensing keys 21) are pivoted on the said fulcrum 111 in side by side relationship by telescoping the vertically notched depending tab 23 at the rear of thevertical wall 21 of each of the said dispensing keys 20 onto the said fulcrum 111. The bottom 11 of the crayon container 10 is provided with a plurality of laterally spaced longitudinally disposed slots 112, each to accommodate the depending guide fin 25 of a crayon dispensing key 20.

A rubber band or other elastic element 27 is stretched across the forward portion of the container 10 just above the bottom 11 thereof, and is anchored through suitable apertures in the sides 12 of the container 1% by such means as knots 270. The said depending guide fin 25 of each crayon dispensing key 20 is suitably notched at 250 to receive the elastic band 27 as best shown in Fig. 2. Thusly, the crayon dispensing keys 20 are resiliently supported near their forward or key pad end in an elevated position.

When all of the crayon dispensing keys 20 are positioned side by side within the crayon container 10 and supported on the fulcrum 111 and the elastic element 27, each crayon dispensing key 20 forms a retaining wall for the adjacent dispensingkey 20, thereby forming with its crayon supporting base elements 22. a plurality of troughs 260 as shown in Fig. 1 into which crayons 50 may be stored as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The rear panel 13 of the crayon container 10 functions as the rear Wall of the troughs 200 while the front panel 14 of the crayon container 10 serves as the front wall of the said troughs 200.

When a selective crayon dispenser embodying the invention is used for crayon storage, a crayon 50 is positioned in each of the troughs 200 thereof as indicated in Figs. 2 and 3. A pair of laterally spaced longitudinally disposed ribs 113 on the bottom of the crayon chute 111 of the crayon container 10 of the selective crayon dispenser and the rearwardly and downwardly disposed tabs 120 located at the rear of the sides 12 thereof serve as feet to support the said crayon container sufficiently above any flat surface upon which it may be placed when the cover-easel is closed as shown in full lines in Fig. 1 thereby to avoid pressure being exerted on the bottom of the guide fins 25 of the crayon dispensing keys 2i) thereof.

When the said selective crayon dispenser is used in its crayon selection and dispensing capacity, the hinged cover-easel is pivoted to its easel position shown in dot and dash lines in Fig. l and in full lines in Figs. 3 and 4. This supports the crayon container 10 in a sloping position as shown in Figs. 1, 3 and 4, and crayons of various colors stored in the troughs Ziitlthereof on the crayon supporting base 22 of each of the crayon dispensing keys 29 are visible for selection.

To dispense a selected crayon 50, the key pad 24 of the crayon dispensing key 26 on which the selected crayon is supported is depressed as shown in Figs. 2 and 4. As best shown in Fig. 2, the guide fin 25 of the crayon dispensing key stretches the elastic band 27 while the said key 20 pivots around the fulcrum 111 thereby tilting the said depressed key downwardly so that the selected crayon will pass through the transverse opening 14%) in the front panel 14 of the container 10 and slide longitudinally from the crayon supporting base 22 of the depressed crayon depressing key 20 onto and down the crayon chute 110 in a position to be picked-up by the user of the crayon. As soon as the depressed crayon dispensing key is released, it pivots back to its normal position responsive to the elasticity of the elastic band 27. The crayon user replaces the said selected and dispensed crayon after use in the empty trough 260 from which it had been dispensed, and, in a like manner, selects and dispenses other crayons from the selective crayon dispenser as required, replacing each of them after use.

Although but a single embodiment of the invention has been disclosed and described herein, it is obvious that many changes may be made in the size, shape, arrangement and detail of the various elements of the invention, all without departing from the spirit and scope thereof as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A selective dispenser for crayons or the like comprising a container for said crayons including a bottom, sides and back and front walls, pivoted cover means for said container swingable to form an easel to support said container in a back to front downwardly sloping attitude, the bottom of said container extending forwardly of the front wall thereof forming a crayon chute, a plurality of crayon dispensing keys disposed side by side pivoted at their forward end in said container, each crayon dispensing key including a vertically disposed wall with a key pad on one end thereof and a crayon supporting base extending laterally from said wall, said crayon dispensing keys forming crayon holding troughs in said container, means guiding each said crayon dispensing key for vertical movement about said pivot, means limiting the upward pivotal movement of said crayon dispensing key, a laterally disposed elastic band stretched between the sides of said container resiliently supporting the rearward portion of each said crayon dispensing key in its upwardly pivoted position, the back and front walls of said container closing the ends of said crayon holding troughs, the front wall of said container having a slot thereacross at the base thereof through which a crayon positioned on any selected dispensing key may pass onto said crayon chute when said selected dispensing key is depressed.

2. A selective dispenser for crayons or the like comprising a container for said crayons including a bottom, sides, back and front walls, and means for supporting said container in a back to front downwardly sloping attitude, a transverse fulcrum at the rear of said container, a plurality of crayon dispensing keys disposed side by side pivoted at their rearward end on said fulcrum, means retaining said crayon dispensing keys on said fulcrum, each crayon dispensing key consisting of a vertical wall and a crayon supporting base extending laterally therefrom, said vertical wall of said dispensing key including a depending guide fin having a notch in the bottom thereof and a forwardly and upwardly extending portion terminating in a key pad, the said container having a plurality of laterally spaced longitudinally disposed slots in the bottom thereof through which said dispensing key guide fins telescope freely, a laterally disposed elastic band stretched between the sides of said container located above the bottom thereof resiliently supporting the forward portion of each said crayon dispensing key at the said notch in the guide fin thereof, the front wall of said container having a slot thereacross above the base thereof through which a crayon positioned on any selected dispensing key may pass when said selected dispensing key is depressed.

3. A selective dispenser for crayons or the like comprising a container-for said crayons including a bottom, sides, and back and front walls, the bottom of said container extending forwardly of the front wall thereof forming a crayon chute, hinged cover means on said container adapted to serve as an easel supporting said container in a back to front downwardly sloping attitude, a transverse fulcrum at the rear of said container, a plurality of crayon dispensing keys disposed side by side pivoted at their rearward end on said fulcrum, said container retaining said crayon dispensing keys on said fulcrum, each crayon dispensing key consisting of a vertical wall and a crayon supporting base extending laterally therefrom, said vertical wall of said dispensing key including a key pad at the forward end thereof and a depending guide fin having a notch in the bottom thereof,

the said container having a plurality of laterally spaced longitudinally disposed slots in the bottom thereof through which said dispensing key guide fins telescope freely, a laterally disposed elastic band stretched between the sides of said container located above the bottom thereof resiliently supporting the forward portion of each said crayon dispensing key at the said notch in the guide fin thereof, the front wall of said container having vertical guide slots therein to accommodate the vertical wall of said crayon dispensing keys and a slot thereacros's above the base thereof through which a crayon positioned on any selected dispensing key may pass to said crayon chute when said selected dispensing key is depressed.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 575,197 Armstrong Jan. 12, 1897 1,698,955 Luftring Ian. 15, 1929 2,448,914 Roth Sept. 7, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS 40,786 Germany Sept. 14, 1887 

